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In college, there tends to be a lot of required (or strongly recommended) reading. Whether there are regular reading quizzes, book reviews due, or information for finals, there is always something to read, and being able to do it as efficiently and effectively as possible is important. With that, here are my tips for reading […]

I love Tony Bennett’s interpretation of “Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words).” He takes a typically peppy song, and makes it sweet and slow. This reflects the lyrics in a fresh way, transforming the song from the breathless romance in Sinatra’s an Buble’s versions to a soulful serenade. It begins with trepidation, but […]

Thursdays are the longest days. By the time I finish school, my private music lessons, and teaching private lessons, I want nothing more than to go home and sleep. Often, I’m discouraged, and occasionally I’m just hungry. This Thursday was much the same as many Thursdays. I was tired and ready for home, but the […]

I put goals in two categories. Either they are passing successes (only achieved if I complete the goal exactly as I had it written) or they are a total failure. Since I seldom deem anything perfect, my goal evaluations are mostly negative and discouraging. I don’t want this to happen this year. I want to […]

My dad introduced this song to me several years ago. I love it because it’s clever and unpredictable, but still pleasant to hear. I love A Capella groups, and this adds in an element of fun to a classic holiday song. Enjoy! The live version: The non-live version:

This week is my first week off from school (yay!), so I decided to go through a large box of papers that has been growing for years. I expected to just get rid of old school papers and laugh at all of the things I thought I would still need in 10 years. I was […]

This Italian art song is one of my voice songs for this semester, and my favorite so far. I usually listen to the version by Cecilia Bartoli and Gyorgy Fischer. “Se Tu M’ami” (“If You Love Me,” in English) is unrequited love from the other side. The singer is being pursued by a shepherd, and she […]

This week is my fall break. I’m looking forward to enjoying some out of the ordinary activities, but I don’t want to let break fly by without accomplishing anything or getting proper rest. I often end up frustrated because I’m either not doing enough or I’m doing to much. So this break, I’m planning out […]

This is one of my favorite duets of all time. My mom showed it to me a while ago, and I still love listening to it. Dan Hill has done this song with several chicks (it’s most famous with Vonda Shepherd), but I love the Celine Dion version. Can’t We Try has so much passion, […]

I wrote this essay as an entry for the academic excellence scholarship at Boyce. The topic assigned was “the importance of theological education,” but I didn’t have much to say on the formal education side. With the help of my mom and an amazing English teacher, this paper was born. I hope you enjoy it: […]

I’ve made it through another exciting month. I’m a little annoyed with myself right now, but I’ll get to that in a minute. First, let’s focus on the positive: To start, I read some great books this month. I read Audacious by Beth Moore, a fabulous book about God’s love for us and our response. […]

I discovered this medley by Albert and Tiffany Chang a year or so ago, and I still love how creative and fun it is. I enjoyed the musical Into the Woods and this is a creative medley using some of the instruments I love most (the piano and the violin). Enjoy!

At my mother’s recommendation, I just read the book Julia Child: A Life, by Laura Shapiro. This was a great book, and not just because I learned a few new facts. It showed me a real person. I read a book about Amelia Earhart near the beginning of this year and was disappointed. Even though Amelia […]

Last week I found Lara Somogyi’s pop covers on harp through Kurt Hugo Schneider’s YouTube channel. I love this song because it is unique and interesting. I don’t listen to much harp music, so Pompeii was a refreshing change. Enjoy! If you want to hear the original Pompeii, you can listen to it […]

For the past six months I’ve been doing a self-made challenge to read an audiobook every month. I thought that it would be really hard to motivate myself to listen to books rather than look at them, but I’ve ended up reading more books than I planned so far. I’m realizing that audiobooks have some […]

It’s been a good month. First I (read: finally) got caught up on my reading goals. I read the book Hidden Figures, the fascinating story of the black female computers in NACA (which later became NASA). It showed how underestimated people can rise above other people’s expectations and change history. It was a great book […]

I’ve had a bit of a rough weekend. Saturday was just a bad day, and I lost some momentum and motivation. But I’m starting to get back into the groove today. As part of getting back to being positive, I want to challenge myself to make a cheerful playlist. I listen to a lot of […]

Well blog buddies, this week I’ve got nothing. I have a couple of blog post ideas, but none of them are sticking. But I made a commitment to post every week, so I’m going to post. I want to stick with blogging as much as I can, and hopefully next week I’ll have more inspiration. […]

I originally heard “I’d Rather Go Blind” at a concert by the Louisville Orchestra. It was originally performed by Etta James, but the version I love is by Kelly Clarkson. The song is groovy, and there’s so much passion in the way Kelly sings it.

Ever since I started this blog I’ve struggled with Blog Insecurity. Although I know that it’s not true, I tend to think that my blog is inferior, because my posts aren’t perfect, and I don’t blog professionally. Today, I decided to counteract the lies that I’ve been fighting with the truth. My blog is not […]

Relient K’s latest album Air for Free has been my online classes jam for the past week or so. These are the songs I would recommend if you listen to nothing else from the album. Here are my top 3 from Air for Free: Local Construction I love this song because the analogy is so […]

I really want to “may”ke a May pun right now. It’s been a good month. I’ve kept up with my Bible goals, and I feel like it’s helping me grow in my relationship with God. I’m still a little behind on my reading goals, so I’m not sure how to get caught up, but I’m […]

Caleb is one of the members of the group Anthem Lights. Kelsey is his wife. Together, they sing many beautiful duets. I’m a big fan. My favorite Caleb + Kelsey song is their cover of “No Air” by Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown. Their harmony is amazing, and they have a beautiful amount of […]

One of my favorite tea drinks is London Fog. It originated in Canada, and it’s similar to a latte, but with tea instead of coffee. I love it on rainy days. Start by boiling some water for tea. You’ll want to brew about half of whatever size mug you’re using of Earl Grey. Brew […]

I had a lot of fun this semester, but I love being on break. Just like during any break, I need an epic playlist. Here’s what I’ve got so far: Good Morning, from Singing in the Rain This song goes along well with my “being positive” theme I have going on right now. […]

One of my favorite family traditions is our yearly summer projects. Each member in our family picks a project to work on over the summer, and we encourage each other as we work towards our goals. Some people do the projects as groups, and some do it by themselves. The only rule is that the […]

I’ve loved Tracy Chapman’s song “Fast Car” for a while, so last week I decided to listen to some of her other music. “Sing for You” was one of my favorite songs I found. I like it because it’s simple and pretty. I hope you like it too!

The past couple of weeks have been kind of rough. I’ve had a lot of stress because of finals and whatnot, and it’s been hard for me to stay positive. (There were a LOT of tears last week). Last week, I didn’t write my Saturday post or my Earworm for the week. Instead of sitting […]

The movie Schindler’s List is about Oskar Schindler, a Nazi. The movie has a fascinating story that makes it worth watching, but I knew the soundtrack even before I saw the film. The Schindler’s List soundtrack is a masterful exploration of sorrow and hope. The first time I heard it, I cried because of the […]

This is a weird subject for me to write about, because it is something I fail in a lot: staying positive. I tend to get bogged down in my dark thoughts and anxiety. I’m writing this post to inspire myself, and maybe even help you. I think the best way to do this is to […]

My mom introduced me to this Crystal Gayle song a few years ago. I like it because it’s fun and sassy, and because I love her voice. This was one of the first jazzy songs I listened to, even before I learned about Fred Astaire. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Dream a Little Dream of Me This song’s melody is haunting, but the music is smooth and jazzy. The combination makes the song trance-like. Plus, it’s Ella Fitzgerald [Insert fangirling]. Träumerei Träumerei means “Daydream” or “Reverie.” I love listening to it on rainy days. All I Do is Dream of You I […]

In my March Goals post, I mentioned reading the book The Essential Tea Companion, from Heart books. This book inspired me to try some different tea-centered activities. Here are three of them: A tea party with friends We had 9 ladies over, including Mom and me, and we had a great time. We made […]

I found Kyle Beilfield when I was looking for a song written from the lyrics of Robert Frost’s poem “Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening.” I loved Kyle’s version of the song, so I looked him up and discovered his album Stopping By. I found his cover of the song “Change Partners” (written […]

The group Time for Three is a modern group featuring two violins and a bass. A friend sent me one of their songs a while ago, but I haven’t listened to them much since then. I recently went to a Time for Three concert, which got me thinking about their songs again. Here are three […]

Woah, we’re almost a fourth of the way through the year. I’m excited. Ok, here’s how my goals have been going. Reading Challenge This month I read: Till We Have Faces, by C. S. Lewis. C. S. Lewis is one of my favorite authors, and this book was fascinating. Living Forward, by Daniel Harkavy and […]

I’ve been listen to Sam Tsui’s covers for a while, and while I don’t listen to all of his music, I love several of his covers. Here are my top 4: Million Reasons (Lady GAGA) This song has a groovy feeling. In this cover, the parts are well-blended, yet distinct. Stressed Out (Twenty-One Pilots) Sam […]

I first heard Jubilant Sykes sing this song in a Louisville Orchestra concert with my Mom. I don’t usually listen to this genre of music, and I was amazed by how beautiful the song was. His voice is phenomenal, and the harmonies on the piano are dark and interesting. If you want another […]

Last semester I spent a lot of time working on being friendly to other people. I had a lot of anxiety, so meeting new people was an uncharted experience for me. I still have lots of lessons to learn, but here are a few things I learned to practice when meeting new people: Smile. When […]

One of my good friends introduced me to Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas, and I was an instant fan. I listened to their album Fire and Grace first. I started listening to In the Moment a couple of weeks ago, and I love it just as much. The thing that I like most about their music […]

Sometimes I get pretty tired in the afternoon, or wake up feeling moody. Here are some ways that I’ve been helping myself gain energy and get in a better mood: Use Essential Oils. I like using a combo of orange and geranium essential oils. Get Exercise. This one is more prevention than cure. After I […]

I recently started listening to Kate Rusby, and this is my favorite song of hers that I’ve heard so far. I like this song for several reasons: First, it tells a beautiful story. I like a good romance story. In song? Even better. Second, the music is addicting. The guitar makes you feel like you’re soaring. […]

This post is about my goals that I made at the beginning of the year. If you want to see my list of goals, you can find it here. Reading challenge: This month, I read the first three books in the series Finishing School, by Gail Carriger. I listened to all three of them on […]

Last week, I wrote about my favorite love songs. The perfect follow up, of course, is breakup songs. Here are some of my favorites. Fast Car, by Tracy Chapman. Tracy Chapman’s voice is ridiculously cool. The lyrics of this song tell a good story, and I love listening to it. Shadow, by Sam Tsui One […]

Last month I started trying to get up consistently at 6:45. For most people, this isn’t super early, but since I usually get up around 8, it was a jump for me. It was hard, but I’m glad that I’m getting better at it. Here are some of my reasons that I like getting up […]

Since yesterday was Valentine’s Day (I like to call it Platonic Relationship Day), I thought it would be fitting to talk about some amazing love songs: Everything Has Changed, by Taylor Swift This is beautiful duet, and I like listening to it. I especially love the harmony. Let’s Stay Together, by the Annie Moses Band […]

Sometimes I get stuck in a mentality that says “I never do anything new, and I never will.” This mentality tends to start a couple weeks into the semester, after the excitement of new classes wears off. But I want to stay excited about life. Aside from all of the amazing new things I’m trying […]

I started listening to the group Anthem Lights a few years ago, and they quickly became one of my favorite bands. I didn’t want to write about just one album, so I decided to pick my favorite songs that they’ve covered. So here are my top six Anthem Lights songs: 6. Pompeii Their version of […]

A couple of weeks ago, I read an article by Michael Hyatt, talking about the importance of gratitude. He challenged his readers to make a list of twenty things that they were thankful for. I was convicted that I’m often not thankful enough, so I made a gratitude list: Food to eat, and the ability […]

Encore: Movie Actors Sing Broadway is one of the first albums that I counted down the days until it was released. I’ve been a Barbra Streisand fan since I saw Hello, Dolly! a few years ago. When I saw that she was still producing music (at age 74), I was ecstatic. I talked about the […]

The semester has started! I’m so excited, and I hoping that I’ll be able to keep up with my challenges and my school assignments. Here’s how I’ve been doing so far: Reading Challenge: I’ve read three books so far (I’m reading my fourth one now). I’m trying to read one book each week, so that […]

Since I just started the Spring Semester at Boyce, I thought it would be fun to make a playlist of some songs that I’m enjoying right now, so I can compare my playlist now with my playlist at the end of the semester. So without further ado, here is my Spring Semester Playlist for 2017. […]

The four temperaments is a personality typing system. This is a compilation of things I learned from a lot of different websites and such over the past few years; feel free to do some research if you want more in-depth analysis of the temperaments. In the four temperaments, there are two pairs of opposite personalities. […]

Long Drive is Jordan Taylor’s debut album, released in 2015. Even though I was already a Blimey Cow fan (Jordan is part of the Blimey Cow crew), I didn’t listen to the album until last fall. At first, I wasn’t sure whether I liked the album or not. It’s not my usual choice for music, but […]

Dear blog buddies, It’s been a year since my first post, an open letter. This blog started as an outlet for my desire to write more. I had just finished ENG101 and 102 for college, and I wanted to try something new. The experiment has helped me with consistently, willingness to try new things, and […]

I was just starting to listen to more jazz/swing music. I was already an Ella Fitzgerald fan, and I heard about the song “Our Love is Here to Stay.” I looked it up, and found Ella’s duet with Louis Armstrong. Ella’s voice has that warm quality that makes you want to follow her around listening to […]

I’m older now. It’s a new year, and soon to be a new semester. I’m getting older, driving, and taking almost a full-time college load. There are a lot of great things about my life right now: I have great friends, great classes and teachers, and lots of music to fill my time. I used […]

I found out about this musical soundtrack from William Zinsser’s book Easy to Remember: The Great American Songwriters and Their Songs (I’m only partway through this book, but it’s great so far). Zinsser wrote this about Fred Astaire: “But it was Astaire the singer, not Astaire the dancer, that the songwriters wanted to write for. […]

I love music, but until recently, I only listened to music that my friends and family sent me. Since I started playing in a band with a couple of friends, and making my own covers, I started listening to music on my own. Anne’s Earworms is a series about the music that I love. Some […]

Since 2017 is upon us, I decided to try something new. I love challenges, but I’ve never completed a yearlong challenge before (I’ve only tried one, and I failed.) So here are five challenges I’m trying in 2017: A reading challenge. When I saw the 2016 Popsugar Reading Challenge at the library, I thought it […]

This week, I was in a panic. I was behind in my music practice and in my Bible goals, and I was tired of people but I wanted to hang out with our family who was in town. By Wednesday night, I was having a mental breakdown. In the middle of my panic session, I […]

“Liz Curtis Higgs tweeted me back!” I told whoever I thought would listen. I had tweeted about Liz Curtis Higgs’ book 31 Verses to Write on Your Heart, and she responded. She just thanked me for reading her books. She had no way of knowing that her tweet would make my day (and my week). And […]

This has been harder to write than I thought. I thought that since I had so much to say, saying it would be easy. I was wrong. Even so, I will try. When I first came to lessons, I didn’t speak much. I didn’t even want to come to them, because I was scared of […]

Even though I write on a blog every week, I don’t read tons of blog posts. I do, however, have several blogs that I follow. Here are four blogs that I enjoy reading: Currently Kelli. Currently Kelli is a daily blog project about Kelli Taylor’s life. Kelli is part of the YouTube channel Blimey cow, […]

For several years, I was obsessed with personality tests. I was just starting to meet people, and it was easier for me to process social situations if I could put people in categories. I still enjoy personality tests, but I don’t spend as much time studying them. The personality test that I like the most […]

What goes in comes out. When you eat junk food for breakfast, you may enjoy it for a few minutes, but your body doesn’t perform as well. You end up sluggish and tired. When you listen to stupid music, you find yourself thinking more and more like the stupid lyrics you fill yourself with. When […]

This is part two of my post on becoming friendly. Here is part one, if you’re interested. *** I continued my internship in the spring, and took a few more classes at Boyce. My thoughts toward people had changed, but my skill set was still limited. I tried to talk to people more, but I […]

I wasn’t interested in other people. I thought they were boring compared to the music in my head and the book in my hand. Until about three years ago, I didn’t speak to people outside of my family. That’s why many of my posts are about getting to know people, or learning about how to […]

I have been obsessively listening to Bette Midler’s One Fine Day for the past month. Since I enjoy the song so much, I decided to do a cover of it (surprise!). When I was listening to my recording, however, I noticed a weird metallic sound in my vocals. I’m not sure why it’s making this […]

I recently celebrated my one year anniversary of taking voice lessons- I call it my Voiceiversary. Before I started voice lessons, I was afraid of singing in front of other people because I thought I sounded bad. Even though I wanted my voice to get better, I resisted taking voice lessons for a while because […]

Imagine little six-year-old Anne Mary starting piano lessons. One of the first things she learned was shaping her hands like “a waterfall” or “a rainbow.” She learned how to “sit tall,” but also to relax. Now imagine ten-year-old Anne Mary’s lesson. She learned about relaxing her arms, and moving her fingers. Now imagine Anne Mary, […]

Jordan, Josh, and Kelli, First of all, I love watching your videos! They are funny, creative, and helpful. Your videos have helped me in several areas, but the biggest area is talking to people. Three years ago, I didn’t talk to anyone outside of my family. As I started talking to other people more, “Messy […]

This mashup was originally performed by the group Anthem Lights (one of my favorite bands). This song is really special to me because it reminds me of one of my best friends. We’re completely opposite in many ways, and this song reminds me of the effort it takes to have a solid friendship, and of […]

We all sin (disobey God). There are obvious sins, like murder, and “smaller” sins, like gossiping. All sin, regardless of how bad it seems, separates us from God. Because of our sin, we deserve death. Because God is perfect, and cannot leave sin unchecked and unpaid for, one sin separates us from Him completely. We […]

I recently went to a presceening of the film HILLSONG- LET HOPE RISE, which comes out Friday, September 16th. I don’t listen to Hillsong United a whole lot, but I thought this was a great film to get to know the band better. Because I liked the movie so much, I am doing a Hillsong […]

Guys, I’m a little frustrated with myself. Two weeks ago I attempted to cover Ed Sheeran’s song “Photograph.” I was having some sound issues, which turned into a “behind the scenes” video where I repeatedly attempted to start the song and gave up. Last week, I decided to try to cover it again. My sound […]

Today my family and I went to the park and smiled a lot. I had a good time. We got some great pictures. There were lots of laughs. There were also a lot of tears. Here is the behind-the-scenes of trying to coordinate eleven people for a photo shoot: We somehow got our entire family […]

Adam and I did this cover as part of our band’s first concert on Friday. I had a great time making it with him and I hope you enjoy it! For those of you who are wondering, here is the logic behind our lyric changes in the bridge. In the original song, the lyrics are […]

Please don’t read this post wrong. I do not think that I am fat and need to eat less. I do not refuse to eat because I can or because I want to punish myself. With that in mind, onto the note. I was sick. One morning as I was getting out of bed, I […]

Hillsong United is having a concert in Louisville this month to play songs from their albums and from the upcoming movie Hillsong – Let Hope Rise. Here are the live concert details: Louisville, KY – Freedom Hall/KFC Yum! Center Thursday, July 28 7:00 PM I hope to see you there! Also, here’s a sneak peek […]

In 2012, I went with a small team to Kenya for three weeks. We spent time in some local churches, teaching pastors, teachers, and students. I loved my time with these brothers and sisters in Christ. They seemed unburdened by possessions, friendly and open and humble. When I returned home, however, I wasn’t encouraged by […]

Dear Dad, You are friendly. When I see you talk to strangers, you ask them about their days, about their families, about their work. You remember them later. I remember in a grocery store once, when you pointed out someone you met once in a drive-through, told me her name, and told me about your […]

Two weeks ago, I was anxious. I realized that I didn’t know how to act around people. When I watched others, each one seemed to have a personality: one was clever; another was friendly; another, mysterious. My most comfortable friends were just themselves. I decided to do the same. I saw one barrier: I didn’t […]

My beloved sister, The first time I met you was in Bad Girls of the Bible. I was inspired by your careful, word-by-word study of scripture. I loved how you applied the seemingly distant Bible stories to life now, showing me how the Bible is relevant just as much to me as it was […]